NASA Captures Mars Volcano Twice The Height Of Earth’s Tallest Peaks

NASA’s 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter has taken a breathtaking image of a 20-kilometer-high volcano, emerging from the clouds on the Red Planet. The picture taken from the high atmosphere at sunrise reveals a green mist with Arsia Mons looming about double the height of Earth’s tallest volcano, Mauna Loa, found in Hawaii, which ascends nine kilometers from the ocean floor. With a width of 120 kilometres, the Arsia Mons summit caldera surpasses numerous volcanoes found on Earth.

The panoramic image captured on May 2, employing the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS), displays the planet’s enormous volcano for the first time. Arsia Mons is the southernmost volcano in the Tharsis region and the one with the most clouds among the three.

“We picked Arsia Mons hoping we would see the summit poke above the early morning clouds. And it didn’t disappoint,” said Jonathon Hill of Arizona State University in Tempe, operations lead for THEMIS.

Researchers said the clouds are especially thick over Arsia Mons when the Red Planet is farthest from the sun, a period called aphelion. “Understanding Mars’ clouds is particularly important for understanding Martian weather and how phenomena like dust storms occur,” NASA stated.

Launched in 2001, the Odyssey orbiter is considered the longest-lasting mission orbiting a different planet. To take the image, the orbiter pivots 90 degrees during its orbit to allow its camera, designed for examining the Martian surface, to photograph it clearly.

The camera’s angle permits scientists to view layers of dust and water ice clouds, which helps them monitor seasonal changes.

“We’re seeing some really significant seasonal differences in these horizon images,” said planetary scientist Michael D. Smith of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “It’s giving us new clues to how Mars’ atmosphere evolves over time.”